Stephen Colbert Has the Perfect Follow-up After ‘Late Show’ Cancellation

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Having a stable job is always reassuring, particularly after a very public and abrupt firing. CBS unexpectedly canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on July 17, 2025, and announced it would also be ending the Late Show franchise after 33 years. The show originally premiered on August 30, 1993, with David Letterman as its first host. After almost 11 years, Stephen Colbert will step down as host on May 21, 2026. Beyond The Late Show, Colbert is well-known for his comedic portrayal of a conservative commentator, a character he first developed on The Daily Show and later showcased on The Colbert Report (2005-2014). On The Colbert Report, he famously satirized political figures like Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck. Throughout his career, Colbert’s comedic talent has been central to his success.

Fortunately, Stephen Colbert already has his next project in the works, and it’s a major one: a new Lord of the Rings movie! He’s co-writing The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past with his son, Peter McGee, and experienced screenwriter Philippa Boyens. The story takes place 14 years after Frodo leaves Middle-earth, following Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took as they revisit the beginning of their original journey. Sam’s daughter, Elanor, uncovers a hidden secret that suggests the War of the Ring could have been lost before it even started. While this movie might seem like a departure from Colbert’s usual work, he brings a unique skillset to the project.

‘The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past’ Is a Passion Project for Stephen Colbert

Honestly, I don’t think anyone loves Tolkien’s world more than Stephen Colbert. It’s become such a core part of who he is – and I mean that in the best way! He’s not just a fan, he’s practically a Tolkien scholar. It all started after a terrible tragedy – his father and two brothers died in a plane crash in 1974. He and his mom moved, and he struggled to fit in at a new school. That’s when he really fell in love with The Lord of the Rings. It gave him something to hold onto, and it really took root in his life.

Nearly four decades after starting his career, Stephen Colbert had a small role in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, appearing as a spy in Laketown with his wife and sons. He also interviewed Jackson in New Zealand during filming, discussing the director’s favorite scene from The Lord of the Rings. This interview footage wasn’t released until 2020.

In June 2021, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd – the actors who played Merry and Pippin in the original Lord of the Rings films – appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a challenge: to find something about the series that Colbert didn’t know. They successfully stumped him with a question about the location of the Entmoot in Fangorn Forest (it was Derndingle!), proving that even a huge Lord of the Rings fan like Colbert occasionally gets things wrong. He did redeem himself, though, by correctly identifying Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took as the hobbit who invented golf.

Over the years, Stephen Colbert has interviewed numerous stars from the world of Tolkien. He’s famous for being able to quote passages from the books from memory, and he even shared his enthusiasm for Tolkien with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, who often includes references to Middle-earth in his music.

How Will Colbert’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Knowledge Translate Into a Compelling Script?

In a video announcing The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, Colbert had this to say to Jackson:

I really love your books and films. But I kept rereading the first six chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring – the parts you didn’t end up including in the first movie.

Colbert explained that he focused on chapters 3 through 8 of The Fellowship of the Ring – specifically, from “Three Is Company” to “Fog on the Barrow-downs.” He even wondered if those chapters could stand alone as a separate story within the larger Lord of the Rings narrative, staying true to both Tolkien’s books and Jackson’s films. After discussing it with his son, Colbert finally contacted Jackson two years ago to propose his idea. He continued working with Jackson, eventually presenting the concept to New Line Cinema and Warner Bros., and that’s how the project began.

Stephen Colbert is a highly experienced writer, particularly in comedy and variety television. He began his career in 1996 with The Dana Carvey Show, and later co-created Strangers with Candy with Amy Sedaris, Mitch Rouse, and Paul Dinello. He’s also contributed to popular shows like Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The God’s Honest Truth with Charlamagne Tha God, and Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News.

Turning this into a great screenplay for The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past will likely succeed because of Stephen Colbert’s deep, fifty-year understanding of Tolkien’s world, particularly The Fellowship of the Ring which this project focuses on. Plus, he’s working with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, the creative team behind the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, so he’s in good hands and won’t be starting from scratch.

Although Stephen Colbert hasn’t tackled a project like this before, his deep knowledge of Tolkien’s world, along with the skills of two experienced screenwriters, suggests the result will be special. Because Colbert is a passionate fan of Tolkien’s work, he’s committed to ensuring Shadow of the Past lives up to expectations for all viewers. I’m choosing to be hopeful, but with a bit of caution.

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2026-03-28 20:49